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It can be dangerous to declare victory, and Lincoln is just starting to build momentum toward what executives say they hope is a string of product wins. But what will qualify as a true triumph for the brand?

Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, laid out several benchmarks on Tuesday at a luncheon in New York ahead of the New York auto show, where Lincoln will display the dramatically redesigned MKZ sedan. Fields says the luxury division needs to be profitable, bolster its market share and maintain "brand health."

"Our overall strategy on Lincoln is, reinvent it," he said.

Fields didn't give a timetable, but it's safe to say that Lincoln needs to sell more cars and define itself with a younger customer. The brand's sales have inched up this year, rising 4 percent in March to 8,803 units. For the year to date Lincoln's sales of 20,836 vehicles are up 4 percent from the same period last year.

The striking MKZ is the most prominent example of Lincoln's new face, with a split-wing grille that harks back to the 1930s and sculpted body panels. But the brand is also trying to pay more attention to customers, and it will launch an online concierge service next year. This feature allows consumers to speak with a Lincoln representative live via the Internet to answer questions about their vehicles and future car-shopping options. It will be available 24 hours a day.

The brand is also revamping its dealership experience with a "Lincoln Academy," which trains sales personnel to offer personalized service. Lincoln announced an agreement with hotel-concierge association Les Clefs d'Or on Monday to serve as advisors for its academy.

Lincoln is also considering a "date night" to allow customers to experience the products for a couple days, Ford sales chief Jim Farley said at the MKZ reveal.

"It's a great way to eliminate that friction that so many conquest customers will have," he said.

And for Lincoln to be successful, it will have to generate a new breed of buyers--perhaps those whose first thought of the brand doesn't summon visions of the Continental or the Town Car.

That means that Lincoln will get a cadence of seven new or refreshed vehicles in the coming years, Fields said. More details will come later, he added.